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Guidance for Storytellers
Storytellers are Habitica contributors who write text for quests and submit their work to the Habitica Quests Trello Board. Becoming a Storyteller If you would like to contribute to Habitica as a Storyteller, please read the instructions first. Due to the large supply of accepted artwork, quests are created based on existing artwork, barring special circumstances. Permissions In order for your writing contribution to be used, you must agree to certain permissions. Read the permissions Trello card for a full description. In brief, you must: *be at least 18 years old (or have a parent or legal guardian give permission on your behalf, as detailed in the under-18 Trello card) *have written the submission yourself and be willingly giving your work to Habitica in exchange for credit towards contributor rewards *allow Habitica to release your work under Creative Commons license BY-NC-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/. In order for your submission to be used, you must send an email to admin@habitica.com letting them know you agree to these conditions. You can use the sample email provided in the permissions Trello card to make sure you do not forget any details! Just make sure you fill in your information in all the indicated spots. Be aware that the permissions process may include a formal, signed contract in the future. Submitting a Quest Script All (non-archived) quest cards on the Habitica Quests Trello Board (direct link) are open for submissions. To maximize the chances of your text getting accepted, submit quest text for all of the open pending quests, and watch out for announcements that new quests are open for submission. Since Habitica usually only releases one or two quests a month this means it can take quite a long time between submitting a quest text and having the quest launch. For pet quests the script will only be decided if the quest is scheduled to go live within about a month. Other quest types generally take longer to go live. Submission Guidelines Submit your quest script as a comment on the quest's Trello card. When submitting your work, include your User ID. Flavor and Completion Text Flavor Text refers to the script which will appear in the quest scroll. Completion Text refers to the text that appears once you complete a quest (and get your rewards). A quest text must be less than 125 words long and should include references to at least 3 artists (unless the card states otherwise). According to Lemoness, "When you're writing your text, think about how it combines Habitica's fantasy universe (including places and people) with the themes of self-improvement, productivity, etc. The best quests emphasize the hybrid nature of Habitica while continuing to expand its world. Check out recently accepted quests for an idea of the kinds of things we like." Pet Quests Pet quests refer to the category of quests that reward participants pet eggs on completion. Pet quest cards include the pixel art of the quest boss. It may also have details such as the names of contributing artists, additional quest art (eg. egg, pet, mount), or the request that the quest script reference one of the places in Habitica. Each submission must include: your User ID, a statement confirming that you have already sent in your permissions form, your proposed quest title (Try to include the name of the species in the title!), and the Flavor Text and Completion Text. Quest stats and rewards are set separately, so there is no need to include these in your submission. You will be notified by a moderator if your script is selected. Submissions are only reviewed in a single batch when the quest is going to go live soon. You will receive your contributor reward (as designated by the moderators) after your quest is approved. Read the pet quest guidelines trello card for additional details. Themed Mini-Boss Quests Themed Mini-Bosses are stand-alone quests incorporating a humorous fantasy-meets-productivity style along the lines of The Feral Dust Bunnies or The Laundromancer quests. Themed Mini-Boss trello cards feature existing quest boss pixel art for which a quest script needs to be written. Each submission must include: your User ID, a statement confirming that you have already sent in your permissions form, your proposed quest title, and the Flavor Text and Completion Text. Read the themed mini-boss quest trello card for details. Habitica Quests Trello Board Aspiring Storytellers must have a Trello account to post comments and submit finalized quest text. To add quest text, first read the relevant Guidelines card (first card in each column) to understand the intricacies of writing for that quest type. Then choose a card that is not archived (does not already have quest text selected for Habitica), and add your text as a comment. Comments on other Storytellers' ideas can also be added. Quest Ideas If you have an idea for a quest without existing artwork or suggestions for different quest mechanics, that's okay! Please add it to the Awesome Ideas/General Discussion card. But, be forewarned that it's unlikely to be implemented (at least not for a very long time). Contributor Tier Process Text for one quest is enough for the first tier. Subsequent tiers require more quests. If a final quest combines contributions from two or more people, they each get partial credit for that quest. Tips and Techniques * To maximize the chances of your text getting accepted, submit quest text for all of the open pending quests, and watch out for announcements that new quests are open for submission. * Try to write quests that enrich the world of Habitica. Some good ways to do this include tying the quest to a pre-existing place, creating a new place that fits our general conventions, and referencing pre-existing characters or events. * Include several references to artists! Usually, many artists are involved in the creation of a quest. It's a good idea to reference two or three in the main flavor text and another in the completion text. * Don't forget to include references to Habitica's task-management side in addition to its game side. Category:Contributing